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@dmd: if you hear it on phones it's definitely not the speakers ;-) Could be the Progressive Harmonic Imaging engine that you hear. I Made that mistake myself as well before - hearing added resonances that are (most probably) part of the PHI algorithm and interpreting them as harmonic 'distortions'.

@Marko and other ES7 owners; I hear a bit of ringing / distortion when playing pretty loud (75% ~ 100% volume) and specifically with certain key combinations that resonate more (A +E) and therefore put more load on the speaker system. Some Kawai technical guys where here. They indicated that in such a small cabinet with relatively small speakers you will always hear just a little bit of distortion or case resonance when going full throttle. As long as it stays within limits. Although I don't have a second ES7 to compare , I think they may be right, since more people 'hear' something similar when playing loud but not so much that it completely distorts or spoils the fun. So in short ; if there is just a slight distortion of the sound only when going very loud, that's probably the way it is and I must admit that it is mostly audible to the critical ear. It's very likely that many people wouldn't even notice it. I wouldn't bother too much , unless you're experiencing something that is very different and looks more like a broken speaker. In that case talk to your dealer as James advised.

By the way I tried the ES7 with an added Subwoofer ; must say I'm not sure if I liked the results. It added more bottom to the sound, but simultaneously the sound became less defined and more muffled. Have to do some more testing to see if it's an improvement or not. Also keep in mind the audio outputs are fixed in Volume, so you have to adjust the volume of your sub when changing the volume of the ES7. Not a very nice solution, unless you always keep the ES7 Volume fixed at the same level. WOuld be great if you could choose between fixed or dynamic volume for the outputs in a setting ( or is it there and did I overlook this option?).

Congratulations on your ES7. Brought mine home a few days' ago and am amazed at the quality of the sound and its playability. Re the latter, I am still on a learning curve re DPs, having spent 6 decades playing APs, but I have been surprised how quickly I have adapted and am getting closer to the subtlety of touch of my RX2. No problems with distortion on headphones or speakers. The MP3 output is low (but what a useful feature)and I am still experimenting with increasing the gain and/or increasing gain in Audacity, but it's interesting that through my hi-fi system, the LH channel distorts sometimes - but this speaker is a bit dodgy anyway. A small techie problem hopefully.

It's an incredible piano, having great fun with it. Originally intended to go the software piano route with any DP I bought and will do so in due course, but there's no urgency about this with the ES7. Although I have played around with the harpsichord sound to create 3 (sort of) different registers (I am a former harpsichordist and really miss playing French baroque music) I will certainly go down the software route for playing harpsichord.

At present, being able to move back and forth between the ES7 and the RX2, my comment would be "they are different", not "the RX2 is so superior". As I get more accustomed to the ES7 sound I expect to notice more limitations versus the RX2, but I fully expected these to be blindingly obvious right from the start.

Also keep in mind the audio outputs are fixed in Volume, so you have to adjust the volume of your sub when changing the volume of the ES7. Not a very nice solution, unless you always keep the ES7 Volume fixed at the same level. WOuld be great if you could choose between fixed or dynamic volume for the outputs in a setting ( or is it there and did I overlook this option?).

There is a good reason why the Line Out level does not change with the Master Volume slider, however I'm afraid I cannot quite remember what it is at the moment.

However, there is the 'Line Out Volume' setting in the 'Basic Settings' menu which - as the name suggests - allows the line out volume to be adjusted directly from the instrument. You can also 'jump' to this setting temporarily by pressing and holding the EXIT button.

sandalholme, congrats to you too, and thank you also for posting your positive feedback - it's very encouraging for myself and my colleagues to read that the instrument is bringing such enjoyment to so many people.

By the way, if you haven't done so already, please remember to download the latest software version from the URL below:

Thank you JFP, dmd, sandalholme, especially you Kawai James; you are truly an asset to the Pianoworld community. I did the upgrade from 1.11 to 1.13 effortlessly.

This is my latest findings: I might have misspoke when I use the word "distortion." The distortion seems like it's NOT coming from the left speaker itself but maybe 3-5 inches just to the right of the speaker. So, I think distortion was the wrong word because the speaker seems to be fine, so now I believe it's more of a vibration sound than distortion. Now what is very interesting is the Concert Grand demo - played at almost full volume has virtually no vibration at all. So maybe it's a matter of adjustment. Also maybe it's my imagination but the vibration seems to be getting slightly less the more I play. Is there such thing as a break in period for digital pianos??

Also, JFP, you're kind of right. The subwoofer not best option after trying for over an hour to get it perfect. Although does add nice vibration on the keys like a real piano

The good news is that I am loving the ES7 the more I play it. Sound is virtually flawless with Bose headphones and Bose is not certainly not the best headphones out there, just maybe best in marketing ;-). The Grand Concert and Mellow1 just amazes me how good Kawai can reproduce such incredible sound (w headphones). Between sound and action I don't want to stop playing it!! But I think like any expensive new purchase of anything we tend to be most critical in the beginning. I will keep updating this post as I discover more things about the ES7 But I truly think I will still be in love even after the honeymoon.

I think we're talking about the same thing. The ringing I have is also next to the right speaker at loud volume when playing a piano preset. Especially with certain key combinations , like I said (a+e in my case). It seems to be a slight , metallic resonance of the case , or part of the es7 body. And it is indeed mysteriously absent when playing the demo songs at full volume, that was what was bugging my mind too. It's sort of a harsh edge at loud volumes, but not too present , so it's not a very big deal. Probably pushing the volume of a small portable piano (any digital with relatively small speakers and a cabinet that doesn't weigh a ton) will have some sort of material resonance in the end. So don't push it all he way up and you'll find he ES7 sound very enjoyable ;-)

James , good to know there is a shortcut to the Volume setting. The MP6 had its own volume slider which was even more convenient, but his will help too. That the line out is fixed as default makes sense. For a PA situation that is the best option. But a choice to set it to dynamic as alternative in a setup menu would have been nice. If that could be a firmware update option (outputs either fixed, or following the volume slider) than regard this as a request ;-)

Is there a firmware request link ? Got some other proposals for the arranger sounds that IMHO could enhance the experience without costing too much programming effort. For the rest the ES7 is pretty much complete . Some adjustments in arranger sounds & perhaps some extra pedal functionality and small user operation tweaks in a future update, but no much else to wish for. Nice work !

Not officially, no. The best option would be to contact the distributor in your country, which is Kawai Europe. You'll note that the new pedal functionality introduced with the latest software update came about following user requests.

Day 2: The more closely I scrutinize the ES7 it continues to amaze me beyond expectation.

(ES7 owners: Put on a REAL good set of headphones and play Piano Sonata No.14/Moonlight Sonata as passionately as you can - it will bring tears to your eyes. I just cant get over how near perfect the sound and touch of the ES7 can produce.)

Obviously, I am very happy with this piano with almost no exceptions. I cant recommend it enough for anyone shopping DPs under $2,000. I see that some might be disappointed that it only has 32 voices. However, if piano sound and action is your top priority, you just cant get better than this IMO. Kawai really hit a home run this year with ES7 and the CA series w/ new actions and 3 sensor PHI and HIXL. Keep in I tried dozens of the latest DPs from all makes past 3 months as mentioned in my 1st post.

Obviously, I am very happy with this piano with almost no exceptions. I cant recommend it enough for anyone shopping DPs under $2,000. I see that some might be disappointed that it only has 32 voices. However, if piano sound and action is your top priority, you just cant get better than this IMO. Kawai really hit a home run this year with ES7 and the CA series w/ new actions and 3 sensor PHI and HIXL. Keep in I tried dozens of the latest DPs from all makes past 3 months as mentioned in my 1st post.

Indeed. I tell my friends that ES7 is the best digipiano money can buy for under $2K. Too bad I already have a DP.

[...](ES7 owners: Put on a REAL good set of headphones and play Piano Sonata No.14/Moonlight Sonata as passionately as you can - it will bring tears to your eyes. I just cant get over how near perfect the sound and touch of the ES7 can produce.) [...]

Marco, you are playing Moonlight Sonata on ES7? Sorry for asking, I'm just pure beginner and Mr. Beethoven is nowhere on my musical horizon yet, but IIRC someone told me that Moonlight Sonata is good test for keys sensitivity when you go "into keys". I.e. grands do have natural advantage here with their long keys and far pivot point. So how have you manage sensitive playing "in keys" on ES7? Do you have any idea how long the keys on ES7 are? Honestly speaking, ES7 caught my eye since I'd like something portable, easy to play (not worry about cables etc.) and yet with as good as possible keyboard. The other option might be to wait on NAMN 2013 to see MP10 successor. I do have time as I need this to just complement my two APs to play in nights and with friends in band.BTW: could you be so kind and make your moonlight record available somewhere for listening?

Jon, indeed, this is very nice playing and using CA93 probably to its maximal capabilities -- layering of sounds following famous TADuchman's thread with CA93/63 presets, but CA93 is using RM3 keyboard while ES7 is using RHII keyboard which are not the same IIRC. So the question of the ES7/RHII key length and hence sensibility still remains open. At least to me.Thanks!Karel

Hey, I'm also a newbie here! I bought an ES7 too, last week, and it's a very good instrument for the price (shown in "prices paid").Thank you everyone here for your helpful comments.During this first week using it no real complications were found. I mean good sounds and rythms, perfect keybed (no clicks or misalignment)and no speaker's distortion. Nice pedal action, too.Just a CON : spanish version of the user's manual is a little...how to say it? Not as bad as usual, but it could be better. At least for the crutial pages 34-35 (sound tweak storage) that took me some good couple of hours to understand. Well, maybe it's me to blame.English version is about the same in that point.Anyway, should we open a new ES7 user's thread, or something?(I beg your pardon for my english, it's a long time ago since I last wrote something).

Hi mabraman, Congrats on your new ES7! I have been playing my ES7 for a week now and learned to navigate menu quickly and take full advantage of many features ES7 has to offer. It's pretty amazing how customizable this DP really is in addition to it's wonderful action, sound, and overall feel.

I will gladly contribute to a Kawai ES7 user thread. But Im a newbie too and should ask some senior members if good idea. What do any of you think JFP, Kawai James, dmd, sandalholme? Good idea or should we just send PMs?

Hi mabraman, Congrats on your new ES7! I have been playing my ES7 for a week now and learned to navigate menu quickly and take full advantage of many features ES7 has to offer. It's pretty amazing how customizable this DP really is in addition to it's wonderful action, sound, and overall feel.

I will gladly contribute to a Kawai ES7 user thread. But Im a newbie too and should ask some senior members if good idea. What do any of you think JFP, Kawai James, dmd, sandalholme? Good idea or should we just send PMs?

We have had specific model threads on here before, when users exchanged settings, shared photos and such. The CA65/95 and CN33 come to mind as examples. I don't think they cluttered the forum as they tend to quiet down after a while.

Just a CON : spanish version of the user's manual is a little...how to say it? Not as bad as usual, but it could be better. At least for the crutial pages 34-35 (sound tweak storage) that took me some good couple of hours to understand. Well, maybe it's me to blame.English version is about the same in that point.

I agree that this process is a little complicated, partly due to the fact that there are four 'banks' (A, B, C, D) for each registration memory button. I tried to ensure that the owner's manual explanation for this point was a clear as possible, however even then, I can appreciate that the process may require a few attempts to understand fully.

I agree that this process is a little complicated, partly due to the fact that there are four 'banks' (A, B, C, D) for each registration memory button. I tried to ensure that the owner's manual explanation for this point was a clear as possible, however even then, I can appreciate that the process may require a few attempts to understand fully.

Originally Posted By: mabraman

Anyway, should we open a new ES7 user's thread, or something?

It's entirely up to users, such as yourself.

Cheers,Jamesx

Please James, it's me who has to be thankful for all of your explanations here and in other threads. In fact, one of my reasons to choose this DP was I'm confident that you will be near if I (we) have any issue.This said, there are a couple of thougts that I'm going to share with you, regardind pages mentioned above (but perhaps useful in every manual):-Some words are automatically translated into (latin-american!)spanish misusing desinences, just the way it's done in (South and Central)America . For instance, "registration" becomes "registración", wich is usually fine...but in this particular case (and country)it doesn´t work, 'cause "registración" is not a real spanish world, but a borrowed english one, closer to spanglish.Proper word is "registro".It's not the end of the world, but for some people it could be disturbing as it all starts wrong from the very beginning.I figure that the States are you main target so this issue is just for spaniards. Am I too picky?-In my opinion it would be very useful a more accurate overview about how the registration is organized, before explaining each possibility it offers to users.Maybe when I start the new thread I'll try to do it. But believe me, these are just details, and sometimes is more a user's-related issue (at least it could be my case).Why, if not, did it took me so much time to understand that I had to keep some buttons held (page 35) instead of tuching them once (p.34), so that I could record my sound and touch preferences? Just think that manuals (please, I don't mean this one) are like airports: the worse part of a fantastic jouney.

mabraman, thank you for highlighting these points - I will have to raise this topic with our Spanish language translator.[...]Kind regards,Jamesx

Hello,

as a spaniard I wholly subscribe what mabraman said about "registraciones". It's not an spanish word and to me it speaks low quality translation and I will immediately switch to the english version if available.

Marko - I am considering getting an ES7. Are you still happy with your purchase?

Extremely happy!! I put it through helll for a over a year at gigs that I never anticipated when i bought it (long story). Worked out great! Now it mostly stays in my office for daily practice as how I originally intended to use it. However, I still occasionally use it for small solo gigs at local elementary school, church, and a nursing home. Im happy to say that all is in perfect working order - especially the keys. The ES7 is by far the best sounding, action, and quality of any stage piano with on-board speakers available IMO. Try to demo it if you can.

I have looked at Yamaha P-155/255, Casio PX350, and Roland (can't recall which model). My primary goals are high quality piano sound, nice action, portable. Speakers are a nice to have; however, I would nix those if it meant a major increase in quality.

Speakers are a nice to have; however, I would nix those if it meant a major increase in quality.

I add +1 to Marko's comments.

I would also add that I do not believe you will find external speakers to give you a "major" increase in quality over the onboard speakers of the ES7. You may get more power but not much better quality.

I think what gbitw meant was that by not getting speakers, perhaps he or she could get a better keyboard at the price (or weight). The Kawai MP7 comes to mind, which is alleged to have a better keyboard and certainly more sounds, but lacks the speakers. I'm an ES7 owner and quite happy; but piano sounds are my bread and butter.

I don't think I'd seen this thread before, but in reference to an earlier comment: I love that the volume slider only affects the internal speakers and not the line outs -- when I play on stage and use the speakers for monitors, it's really nice to be able to adjust the volume of the speakers without adjusting the level of audio I'm sending to the sound guy. It's the first keyboard I've owned that had that feature.